Current Opportunities

Chief Executive Officer | Edmonton Airports

Come soar with us!

Edmonton Airports is beginning a search for its next President and CEO. You’ll hear us use the word “unique” many times, because this opportunity truly is different from other airports across Canada and around the world and other leadership roles.

Edmonton Airports is unlike other, more traditional airports across Canada. Think of it more like an economic driver, a community builder, an inspiring environmental leader, a port of call for diverse people, businesses, cultures and industries … all of that centred around the largest land base of any major airport in Canada.

We’re looking for the next President and CEO who can build on our successes over the past few years, embrace the strategies set out in our plans and take them to the next level, bring innovative ideas to the table, and work with our partners to accelerate Edmonton Airports’ role as a key driver of economic growth in the region.

More than two years of the COVID pandemic has hit the industry hard. But thanks to strong leadership and thoughtful management, Edmonton Airports is in a positive position to embrace the opportunities ahead. Opportunities to advance a thriving hub of economic activity. Opportunities to grow our airlines business, attract new carriers and new routes, and leverage what we’ve already built. Opportunities to transform our passion for the environment into tangible action to achieve net zero emissions and provide a model for airports around the world.

The person who takes on this role will have an amazing opportunity to soar with us. We’re looking for a visionary leader. Someone who seeks challenges. A people leader who works with an incredible team of diverse people at Edmonton Airports and respects and builds a positive, inclusive and engaged culture of belonging. A community leader who thrives on building relationships with people, organizations and people in leadership positions across the region, and with the municipal, provincial and the federal governments. A business developer who can inspire and attract new business and investment opportunities.

Our next President and CEO doesn’t just run an airport. They make things happen. They are a trailblazer. They drive performance and achieve results. And they do that while inspiring people inside Edmonton Airports and with our external partners.

We’re looking for someone who truly wants to soar with us!

For more information about the search including our latest videos go to flyeia.com/soar.

 

Think this is just another airport? Think again.

There are so many ways Edmonton Airports is unique but let’s start with the highlights.

 

The Edmonton Airports Opportunity

Edmonton Airports is a buzzing hive of daily passenger flights, connecting people and businesses in the Edmonton region and Canada’s north with destinations across Canada and around the world. We actually operate two airports – the main terminal located just south of Edmonton and Villeneuve Airport, a general aviation, recreational flying and training centre located north of Edmonton. With 24/7/365 uncongested operations, no curfews or operating restrictions, we can fly any time, any where. Our location provides direct access to the CANAMEX corridor to the US and Mexico and two intermodal rail yards. We’re not only the gateway to Canada’s North. We’re a gateway to almost anywhere.

We call it Airport City, because it’s more than just an airport.

We’re the fifth largest airport in Canada when it comes to passengers, serving 8.5 million passengers per year with non-stop connections to more than 50 destinations around the world. But we’re bigger than any of the major airports in Canada when it comes to our land base, with over 7000 acres of land. And we’re big in heart, big in aspirations, and big in plans for the future.

The Edmonton International Airport terminal is the hub of an airport ecosystem that includes hotels, a casino and race track, an outlet mall shopping centre, a Costco centre and even a golf course. In the past eight years, we’ve attracted more than $1.3 billion in private investment. Major business and innovation developments include technology and agriculture accelerators connecting local and international businesses to new markets. Logistics capacity and transportation infrastructure add to our capacity to support businesses in the region. We’ve experienced record growth in cargo capacity in the past two years and a $36 million cargo expansion is underway.

Edmonton Airports is also home to the Alberta Aerospace and Technology Centre, an aerospace training hub dedicated to improving flight safety through synthetic flight training, research and innovation. Think drones, flight simulators and remote operated vehicles.

Our commitment to ESG (environment, social and governance policies and practices) drives every aspect of our strategies. Edmonton Airports was the first airport in the world to sign on to the Amazon Climate Pledge to have net zero emissions by 2040 and in the near future we’ll be home to the Airport City Solar, the largest solar farm at an airport in the world. We’re proud of our work to support Indigenous partnerships, to support women and underrepresented groups to thrive and succeed through careers in aviation, to create job opportunities for veterans of Canada’s military, raise awareness and take action to prevent human trafficking, and make flights more accessible. And we’re just getting started.

That’s a snapshot of who we are today. But where are we headed?

Edmonton Airport’s strategic plan for 2019-23 charts an exciting path to the future guided by:

• A noble cause: Uniting people for a world of new opportunities
• Vision: More flights to more places
• Mission: Driving our region’s economic prosperity through aviation and commercial development
• Overarching long-term goals:
  • 10 million annual enplaned and deplaned passengers by 2025
  • $3.8 billion in economic output by 2025 (16% growth over pre-COVID output of $3.2 billion)

Looking ahead, our core strategies will continue to drive innovation in order to retain and grow passenger demand, grow non-aeronautical revenue and development, create an exceptional customer experience, provide a positive impact through sustainability, and accelerate employee culture, growth and development.

For more information about Edmonton Airports and its strategic plan, check out our website at flyeia.com.

 

People – the heart of everything we do

Edmonton is known for its spirit and determination, driven by the people who call this home. Not surprisingly, Edmonton Airports prides itself on an outstanding team of people with the same drive to win.

We’re led by a 15-member board of directors appointed by various municipalities in the Edmonton Metro region along with the Government of Canada and members at large appointed by the board. The board is known and respected not only for its strategic leadership of the organization but also for setting a bold vision, encouraging innovation, and creating positive relationships with its many stakeholders across the region.

People who work at Edmonton Airports take enormous pride in their work and the culture of belonging they’ve built together. Even though they’ve been through a difficult time because of the pandemic, they continue to be optimistic about what lies ahead. It’s a team of close to 1,000 people of diverse backgrounds and lived experiences. The larger airport community consists of almost 25,000 direct and indirect jobs. Combine the number of passengers who take flights in and out of the airport with the eight to ten million people who visit all the developments at the airport community every year and it comes to almost 16 million people a year who are engaged in one way or another with Edmonton Airports. That’s four times the population of Alberta.

From the executive team to the dedicated front-line employees, Edmonton Airports is known as one of the best places to work – a place of respect, pride and teamwork.

Add to that, we’re surrounded by an airport community that loves to win.

 

The Community – Uniquely Edmonton

Young, vibrant and energetic, Edmonton is Alberta’s capital city and home to 1.4 million people. With $105 billion in GDP, the Edmonton metropolitan region is Canada’s fifth largest economy, one of the youngest regions and the fastest growing region in Canada.

Edmonton is a brilliant place to live, to work, to raise a family, to start and grow a business. Think about what Edmonton has to offer:

• Thriving arts and culture communities combining the iconic Art Gallery of Alberta, the Royal Alberta Museum, the world-renowned Winspear Centre and Edmonton Symphony Orchestra, the Citadel Theatre – and those are just the attractions in Edmonton’s downtown. Add to that 30 arts and cultural events a year. They don’t call us the festival city for nothing!
• Diverse communities and a tradition of welcoming people from around the world
• Edmonton River Valley, the largest urban park in Canada – 22 times bigger than Central Park in New York
• Home to the Edmonton Oilers and the Edmonton Elks football team, international triathlon competitions, an stadium-packed snow-covered win for Canada’s men’s soccer team in their pursuit of a World Cup birth, plus lots of amateur sports opportunities
• A world-class education system and post-secondary institutions that rival the best in Canada and some of the best in the world, including the University of Alberta, home to one of Canada’s few Nobel Prize winners
• Fort Edmonton Park, Canada’s largest living history museum, including a remarkable Indigenous Experience Centre
• Some of the best shopping at West Edmonton Mall, North America’s largest shopping mall
• Booming agriculture, food and manufacturing industries
• A rapidly growing innovation hub with emerging technologies, the third largest artificial intelligence research community in the world, a developing centre of hydrogen technologies, and petrochemical developments

Combine all of that with a diversity of wonderful, liveable communities, easy commuting, hiking and biking trails and an average of over 2,300 hours of sunshine per year!

For more information about the Edmonton region and what it has to offer, check out exploreedmonton.com.

 

The President and CEO Role

Edmonton Airports isn’t a traditional airport and we’re not looking for a traditional leader. The role is a complex one because it involves more than just leading the organization and managing the airport. Part airport innovator, part business development, part entrepreneur, part community connector and promoter … all of these aspects are critical to the President and CEO’s role.

The President and CEO reports directly to the Board of Directors, has overall responsibility for executive management and leadership for Edmonton Airports, and acts as the sole formal link between management and the Board. Specifically, the President and CEO is responsible for:

• Strategic leadership:
  • Fostering the development of a clear vision
  • Articulating a clear and compelling image of what the organization must become
  • Setting the tone for the organization’s culture and ensuring succession in management and leadership
  • Being an ambassador and nurturer of a diverse, equitable and inclusive workplace that leads by example, both internally and externally
• Strategic vision:
  • Taking a proactive perspective on business, analyzing key trends and dynamics in the business environment, and charting a course for success
• Strategic and business planning:
  • Developing short- and long-range plans that are effective in meeting goals and objectives
• Business acumen and knowledge:
  • Maintaining a broad-based understanding of key business fundamentals and the drivers of financial health and accountability of the organization, including maintaining the ongoing fiscal soundness of the organization
• Board relations:
  • Building a trusting relationship with the Board by being open in sharing and receiving information
  • Consulting with Board members, seeking feedback and advice
  • Reviewing the performance of executive management with the Board in relation to achieving annual and strategic business objectives
• Stakeholder relations:
  • Developing and fostering superb working relationships with key stakeholders including airlines, surrounding municipalities and the business community
  • Communicating effectively with stakeholders on goals, plans and issues related to Edmonton Airports

Underlying those formal roles is a clear understanding that, first and foremost, the President and CEO leads a team that is responsible for ensuring a safe, respectful and secure experience for everyone served by Edmonton Airports. A team that continually seeks ways to enhance customers’ experiences and drives innovation and innovative thinking throughout all aspects of the organization. A team that pushes the ESG envelope, propels economic growth and ultimately achieves profits that can be reinvested into the Edmonton Airports’ noble cause. While we may not be structured as a for-profit business, we operate like a business with a Board, with similar expectations, and with an executive team focused on driving profits and investing those back into the organization.

All of this works if the President and CEO is an exceptional, visionary leader within the organization and is also masterful at building meaningful relationships outside the organization. Within the larger community Edmonton Airport serves, the President and CEO is a key influencer, an ambassador for Edmonton Airports and for Edmonton as a whole, a proactive leader of economic development, a sought-after advisor, and a player on the global stage.

For more information on the Edmonton Airports structure, Board composition and organization, go to flyeia.com.

 

The Candidate

Edmonton Airports is a unique and special place, and we’re looking for a unique person to fill this special role. Someone who’s ready to soar with us – to start from the great foundation and plans we’ve built and take things to the next level.

These are the attributes we see as most critical for Edmonton Airports’ next President and CEO.

• A difference-maker – A person who sees the potential of Edmonton Airports and can dive in to make that happen
• A connector – A person who builds trusted relationships, engages people in meaningful ways that help them feel seen, valued and acknowledged, and helps them feel a part of something special
• A strategic thinker – Someone who deeply understands the “chess board”, sees the trends and can think four moves ahead
• An innovator – Someone who’s not bound by traditional ideas or the status quo but willing to be bold and try new approaches
• A team player – A person who works with our outstanding team, respects and builds our inclusive culture of belonging
• A flexible, fast and agile leader – This is a pivotal time for Edmonton Airports and we’re looking for someone who quickly analyzes situations, engages people and makes decisions.
• An inspiring communicator – Someone who sets a clear vision, has presence, can take the stage and communicate openly with people inside the organization and with our many stakeholders
• A community leader – A person who reaches out, gets engaged in the broader community, and earns respect with our stakeholders and the Edmonton community

One question we know you’ll ask: How important is it to have airport experience? Understanding the core business of the airport is definitely an asset, but our search is not limited to only those with direct airport experience. We’re casting as wide a net as possible to ensure we get the right person for the role. At the same time, we’ll be looking for someone who understands and appreciates the value of our local, provincial and Canadian context.

 

The Process

The search process is being guided by a selection committee of the Board. An external search firm will guide the board through the various steps of the process. Our approach will be as open, inclusive and transparent as possible while, at the same time, protecting the privacy of candidates.

Our target is to select the next President and CEO in the fall of 2022; however, we are prepared to continue the search until we’re able to select the best candidate for this unique role.

For questions or further information, please contact:

Tricia Mullen

Edmonton Market Leader

Talent Management Services

Gallagher Benefit Services (Canada) Group, Inc.

Tricia_mullen@ajg.com

 

Come soar with us!

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How to Apply:

Please send your resume in Word or PDF format to: HRCCCanada.GBS.EdmontonPIES@ajg.com. Copy and Paste the following job title and code and place it in the subject line of your email so we can identify the job and confirm receipt of your application:
AISR-645335 Chief Executive Officer | Edmonton Airports - AB - Edmonton and Area (OTIAPPLY)

Please note that only those candidates meeting the selection criteria, established by our client, will be contacted further. Although we may not contact you directly for this particular role, all applications will be reviewed as we would like to consider you for future opportunities that may be appropriate. We encourage you to continue to visit our website at optimumtalent.com as our opportunities are updated on a regular basis.